Method and apparatus for bottling



May 14, 1935'. E. L, MOBERG 2,001,209

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING Filed March 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR @ZW fiam PM Patented May 14, 1935 Ares-r orrioE METHQD AND APPARATUS FOR BOTTLING Evan L." 'Moberg, Latrobe, 2a., assign'or to McKenna Brass & Manufacturing (30., Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania ,ApplicationMarch c; 1933, Serial No. 659,867 7 11 Claims.

" This invention relates-to method andapparatus for bottling carbonated 'beveragestand is herein particularly described as relating to Afilling machines for the bottling of carbonated beverages.

;In modern filling :machines for bottling carbonated beverages, provision is made forsupplying an initial pressure--comn'1on1y'termed the counterpressure-within the bottle prior to filling and for-maintaining such .tpressuI-e throughout the filling operation. This counterpressure is maintained to' prevent liberation of carbon dioxide gas from the charged waterso that foaming of the bottled beverage may be obviated. The Water tank and pressure reservoir in the bottling unit is kept filledtota predeterminedlevel with carbonated Water. Gas underithe same pressure as that of the charged Water in the carbonator is stored above the Water level'and this stored body of gas serves :as a reservoir for the counterpressure gas. As the bottleis filling with carbonated water, the compressed gas with which it was filled, together withthe airoriginally in'nthe bottle, is returned to the Water tank or=filling tank. In orderthat the water level in the water tank and pressure reservoirm'ay be kept constant, it is customarytovent the gas displaced by carbonated water to the atmosphere This results in a considerable wastage of the medium used to supply counterpressure; The carbonating unit supplies the bottle filling machine with carbonated water under'pressure. "The gas "required by the bottle fillingunit must be under the samepressure .as that under which the carbonated water from the carbonator is supplied to the :water'tank ofcthe filling machine.

As the carbon dioxidegasin the carbona'tor is under the same pressureuas the carbonated water therein, it has hitherto been the practic'e, in machines of this characterpto rely on carbon dioxide gasifrom ithe'carbonating unititselfgto sup ply this pressure in the bottling machine. A considerable portion of the relatively expensive 002 gas is wasted in the bottlefilling operation in the filling unit, so it isai rathercostly practice to use carbon dioxide gas to supply the needed pressure.

Iavoid this expense by using air toestablish and maintain the pressure in the bottle filling machine. In order that the airtmay be supplied at the samepressure lasthatxexerted by the CO2 gas inthecarbonator, I regulateithe air by means responsive .to the gas pressure in the carbonator. By reason ofrthis, I'Qamenabledtoiuse air in the bottling machine and avoid the 'waste of the expensive carbon dioxide gas and at'ithe same time 'control the hair justwas effectively .ashgas.

(Cl. 226-) g Figure '1 isa schematic view of thearrangement of theapparatus which includes a carbonating unit, air compressor, a bottle filling machine, and adiaphragm'valvei. 1 H

Figure 2 is a plan view of a diaphragm valve through which theair pressiue is regulated; :and

.Flgure 3 is across-section of the diaphragm valve in the plane of I'IIIII of Figure 2. v

The bottling apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 comprisesa carbonating unit C of any preferred or conventional .design connected toia conventional or preferred type of bottling unit B through a pipe 2 :in order that carbonated-Water maybe supplied to the bottle filling machine B. In bottling machines. of the type illustrated, gas under pressure is supplied to thecconnection 3 on the dioxidegasis used in the :bottling machineuand for thispurpose there is shown a sourcerof air pressure A. This is shownas comprisingacompressorfi anda reservoirfi. Air un-derfpressurelis conducted from the reservoir through a pipel'l,

diaphragm valveD and pipe 13 to the connection 3 on thebottlefilling machine. .1111 'orderthatair pressure supplied to the pressure reservoir of the bottling machine may be definitely :related to the pressure in the carbonator, the pressure regulator unit D is connected between the {pipes lever M is pivoted at E5 so thatthe moment arm of valve H about the pivot ifiisless than the moment arm of the diaphragm It about the pivot {15. By thus proportioning ,the ,moment arms, the force exerted. on diaphragm H] by the carbon dioxide gas from the carbonator through-lever it against valve M is multiplied .so that ,a'com-Q parative'ly small increase in pressureagainstjdia phragm it will exertv a larger force against the valve II. This arrangementmakes the valve H more sensitive. Chamber I 2 is connected by means-of pipe it to the carbonator unit. Thus,"

one-side of thediaphragmis subjected to the pres sure of carbon dioxide gas comingfrom -the carbonating unit :0 by way of.=pipe 16. Valve-I l is contained within a valve chamber I1 which has at one end a valve seat I 8 against which the valve is normally urged by means of the spring I9 interposed between the valve and the casing. Air under pressure is supplied from the air compressor unit A by means of pipe I which connects to the valve chamber at 20, this being the inlet side of the valve. The movement of valve I I controls the admission of air to chamber I3. The chamber I3 has an outlet connection 2| to which the pipe 8 leading to the filling machine is connected.

When the CO2 gas under pressure is admitted to chamber I2, diaphragm I moves outwardly toward chamber I3 and transmits its motion by means of lever I4 to the valve Ii. Valve II is raised from its seat I8 and admits air under pressure from the supply pipe I into chamber I3 and thence through pipe 8 to the bottle filling machine. As soon as the air pressure in chamber I3 becomes equal to the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in chamber I2, the diaphragm ID will be in equilibrium and air at the same pressure as the CO2 gas in chamber I2 will be supplied from the compressor A through pipe I to the chamber I3 and from thence through the pipe 8 to the bottle filling machine. If the air in chamber I3 reaches a pressure slightly greater than the pressure of the CO2 gas in chamber I2, the diaphragm ID will be forced outwardly from chamber I3 and valve I! will be closed by the spring I9, thus shutting off the supply of air to chamber I3. As soon as the pressure in chamber I3 becomes less than the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in chamber I2, valve I I will be opened 1 and air will be admitted to chamber I 3. Thus, the

air supplied to chamber I3 will be always kept at the same pressure as that of the carbon dioxide gas in chamber I 2, which is the same pressure as the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonating unit C. Consequently, the pressure of the air supplied to the bottle filling machine through pipe 8 will always be the same as the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonating unit.

It is thus evident that I have invented a novel device for supplying counterpressure in a bottle filling machine by using air controlled by the pressure in the carbonating unit instead of using carbon dioxide gas, thus enabling large savings to be effected by the operator of bottle filling apparatus.

While I have illustrated and described the present preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that it is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of bottling, which comprises supplying air under pressure to a bottling machine, supplying carbonated water under pressure from a carbonating unit to the bottling machine, and varying the air supply directly in accordance with and proportionately to the variation of the pressure of gas in the carbonating unit.

2. The method of bottling, which comprises supplying fluid under pressure to a bottle filling machine, supplying carbonated water under pressure from a carbonating unit to the bottle filling machine, and regulating the fluid supply by the pressure of gas in the carbonating unit.

3. The combination with a bottling machine and a carbonating unit connected with the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water theretofof means for supplying air under pressure to the bottling machine, and means responsive to gas pressure in the carbonator for controlling said first means.

4. The combination with a bottling machine and a carbonating unit connected with the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, of an air compressor for supplying air under pressure to the bottle filling machine, and a regulator responsive to the gas pressure in the carbonating unit for controlling the supply of compressed air to the bottle filling machine.

5. The combination with a bottling machine and a carbonating unit connected with the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, an air compressor connected with the filling machine, and a diaphragm valve responsive to the pressure of gas in the carbonating unit for controlling the supply of air under pressure to the bottle filling machine.

6. The combination with a bottling machine and a carbonating unit connected with the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, of means for supplying fluid under pressure to the bottling machine. and means responsive to the pressure of the gas in the carbonator for controlling the pressure of said fluid.

7. In combination, a machine for filling bottles with carbonated water under pressure, a carbonating unit connected to the filling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, means connected with the filling machine for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, and means intermediate the fluid supply and the filling machine for directly varying the pressure of the fluid supplied to the filling machine in accordance with the variation of pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonator.

8. In combination, a bottling machine, a carbonating unit connected with the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, means connected with the bottling machine for supplying fluid under pressure thereto, and means connected to the bottling machine, to the fluid pressure supply means, and to the carbonating unit and responsive to the gas pressure in the carbonating unit for regulating the pressure of the fluid supply to the bottling machine.

9. The combination of a bottling machine, a source of air supply connected to the bottling machine, a carbonator unit connected to the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, a pressure regulating valve with its outlet side connected to the bottling machine, and means for operating the valve comprising a diaphragm and means for conducting the gas pressure of the carbonator to one side of the diaphragm.

10. The method of bottling, which comprises supplying to the bottle filling machine carbonated water under pressure from a supply unit, supplying air under pressure to the bottling machine, and regulating said air supply by the pressure of gas in the carbonated water supply unit.

11. In combination, a bottling machine, a carbonating unit connected to the bottling machine for supplying carbonated water thereto, an air compressor connected to the bottling machine for supplying air under pressure thereto, a pressure-responsive regulating valve connected between the air compressor and the bottling machine, said valve being operatively connected to the carbonating unit, whereby the gas pressure in the carbonating unit controls the operation,

of the regulating valve.

EVAN L. MOBERG. 

